Crush of the Year

This year was quite close: Jon Hamm had a huge year and has ushered in a new brand of leading man (one who actually has acting skills on par with his unbelievable looks), Andy Samberg from Saturday Night Live created the perfect sequel to the unmatchable "D*ck in a Box" with "J*** in My Pants" and also succeeded in stealing some election show thunder from Tina Fey with his spot-on Mark Wahlberg impression, and Lebron James continues to be unstoppable as the Cleveland Cavaliers front man (side note: He has been one of my illustrious "husbands" for several years, so he has an advantage).

But one man had to rule them all, and Andy Blue Eyes pulled it out this year. It helped that it was an election year and I stayed glued to CNN as the coverage came pouring in, and once it was clear that Senator Obama would indeed be the Democratic nominee, I became hooked onto Anderson Cooper360 because it provided me with the news coverage I desired (without shouting!) along with the perfect host, Mr. Cooper. He wears the best suits and ties (which is enough to make me swoon) but his unconventional good looks and clear intelligence and earnestness were a one-two punch that knocked me into the news know-how.

It's almost a trick; he lures you in with his gorgeous eyes and conversation-starting hair (Real? Dyed? Who cares!) and then keeps you loyal by his ability to stay unbiased and bull-free in an election year that was anything but. He asked the questions I wanted him to ask, except for the one where he's down on one knee.

Whether he's gay, straight, or the most beautiful silver male alive, Anderson Cooper is my crush of the year and I can't wait to see what new ties he will bring out in '09.


And this photo didn't hurt either.











Image via Biography page on cnn.com.